To get irate over misuse of parents' parking spaces at Sainsbury's

[Sunnymama]

No, not by those people without kids (although they are bad enough), but by people who use them when they have no kids with them but a car seat in the back of the car. Hello? The whole point of the spaces if for people who have their kids WITH them, not who just happen to have kids, somewhere. I saw two people do this on Saturday (while shopping with DD aged 2) and it really riled me - they should know better than anyone what a struggle it can be taking kids shopping.

Glad you found it so easy Riven-I don't so I will continue to use P&T spaces as lets face it they are designed for use by parents and children to make their lives easier. When they were all babies I found it far easier as they couldn't move out of the trolley/car.

I never use them when I don't have the dc and would never use a disabled space. We're not all perfect and I find shopping with 3 children practically the same age under 5 very hard. I used to be a primary teacher and found teaching 30 6 year olds way easier than taking my 3 for a weeks shopping on my own.

I have been told off for the dc banging the car doors into other cars(they all unclip and get out themselves,can't be in 3 places at once)when not in a P&T space. Last week I got told off for having all 3 in the trolley and I actually find steering a heavy trolley hard enough on it's own without holding hands.

We all find different things hard as a parent. There are things I find easy that others would find hard but don't find the need to be so judgmental.

It's not the walking to the door it's the walking back and our car parks are all choc a block where ever you go. My 3 get masses of exercise.

So tend to use the errrrr P&T spaces, a little suprised that with 3 under 5 I shouldn't be using them but should squeeze into a tiny car space,bash the doors next to us and trail 3 under 5's across the car park with a laden trolley when I could just park in the large, empty P&T spaces near to the store.

Confused -so who are the chosen few that are allowed to use them????

And I thought it was only me that had a HUGE grievance with this. So glad to see it's not.

i have to say, with a 7WO, i would be lost without ocado....

And the bigest benefit is i have 24 hours to remeber what i've forgotted, iyswim

Riven it is safer for young children to be nearer the store. As I said before my dc are very road worthy,stop at crossings unprompted etc but I nearly had a very nasty accident a few weeks ago because I simply couldn't steer and keep a hold of them all and we had to negotiate our way across a very busy car park miles away. If I'd have managed to get a P&T space it simply wouldn't have happened.

Lots of people find shopping with several kids difficult and as a result it is safer to be nearer the store and said parents are therefore fully entitled to use the spaces allotted for them.

Incidently my Sainsbury's quite rightly have masses of disabled spaces near the store and they're nearly always empty so there clearly isn't a problem in that area.

There were less cars and the car parks were less chock a block. 10 years ago I never had to queue to get into a supermarket car park. People pop out now for just 2 items although I venture to suggest they won't for much longer.

After our incident the store manager did say it makes his blood boil as he frequently sees mums with children struggling across the car park due to P&T spaces being full. So clearly it's something the stores are aware of hence the spaces being near to the store.

Riven is spot on, though - If the P&T spaces were 'child friendly' - in a safe area with trolleys to hand etc., but further away from the store, then they wouldn't be abused.

I think that's a top idea.

Sorry I don't.

I would rather take my 3 down our busy high street any day rather than negotiate them round an area the size of a football pitch with no pavements,loads of obstructions(parked cars) that small people can be not seen round which 100s of cars are trying to negotiate their way around.

The less a child has to walk in that environment the better. So having the P&T spaces near to the store where they actually are makes perfect sense to me.

OK, Milamae..

Here are your choices:

1. Shop at Ocado or another online store and don't deal with supermarkets at all.

1. Shop on the high street

1. Deal with the fact that, if P&T spaces are the most convenient to nip in and out of the supermarket, they are going to be abused by a minority of the population (just as disabled spaces are, and yellow lines, and Red routes and all the other places people park their cars when they aren't really supposed to)

I don't get why people get so worked up about it... Are the people who get so irate about P&T spaces HONESTLY saying they have never illegally parked, even for 5-10 minutes (because a LOT of people who use P&T spaces are just nipping in for a couple of items etc)

And, if that's the case, why is there more illegal parking outside schools when parents are picking up / dropping off their kids than pretty much anywhere else????

There is an infact / junior school round the corner from where I live and it would seem it's obligatory for 90% of the parents to park 2 inches from the school gate, even in fine weather...

Errrrrrr I haven't got a problem with P&T spaces either, happy with where they are,my initial post simply pointed out that I would be using them until my dc were 8.

Was then informed that actually I shouldn't be using them even though I have 3 under 5, I then replied as to why I have a right to use them and would continue to do so.

Still intrigued as to who the chosen few are who should be using them if a mother with 3 under 5 isn't supposed to.

Ooops - I really should read the entire thread before wading in, shouldn't I?

Why stop at 8? My younger DSD is 10 and I'd still use them when I'm with her (obviously this is secondary to the 'massive 4x4' rule which means I have to park away from any other cars )

My elder DSD is 13 and she'd tell me to use them too - so we can get in and out faster!!

But, there again, I park in the pick up zone if I only want a couple of items....

Oh, how evil am I????

I jsut don't get why people get so worked up about it.

Me neither-it's a Mumsnet thing methinks

Wow, amazed at this. Spend a week in italy - people completely ignore the lines in car parks (of which there are almost none anyway), park on every single zebra crossing, drive straight through red lights, double and triple park everywhere, leave their cars perpendicularly across the pavement. Oh, not directly related, but let their dogs shit all over the place, which is obviously a pushchair/wheelchair issue. This is probably true of most countries actually. If you manage to get stressed about P&T spaces you prob need counselling.

what I dont get is why it is ok to say to someone who has young children 'dont moan about the spaces shop online'. Surely for disabled people and those helping them shopping online should be the first port of call?

i believe the benefits of shoping on line for anyone - but esp. those with limited mobility (or in the case of an energetic toddler increased mobility - are vast.

i was a fan before ds appeared but i wouldn't go near a supermarket now

my severly disabled dd loves shopping. as most teens do. why should she shop online??

Riven - It can cost money to shop on line, yes... But it can also be done free of charge.

But, to get the items delivered free, you have to select certain slots (my groceries will be delivered between 7-8am tomorrow) , book the slot in plenty of time and also spend over a required amount.

There are benefits (for me, anyway) as I can buy in bulk and therefore get the multi buy savings, whereas if I had to shop in store, I'd struggle to carry it. and another big benefit for me is that i have plenty time to add to my order, so I can be wandering around the house, remember something and just log on and add it to my order.

But, yes, you need a credit card and you also need to be used to using a PC (as all MNers are, of course! )

Hatrick - I'm not saying that it should be obligatory, but it is a choice. Moreso for a woman who has chosen to have three children under 3 years of age.

I have a DS of 7 weeks, and I choose to shop like this. But, as I said, I was one of those bouncy 20-somethings who regularly parked in P&T spaces even though I was resolutely single and child free so I never expect to get a space there anyway

I don't disagree with P&T spaces, but I do agree with Riven that it's given people a huge sense of entitlement - tey have to have a P&T space, but that doesn't stop the same parents wedging the car onto a pavement 2 foot from a school gate every other day.

I do think that's why a lot of people feel it's OK to abuse P&T spaces - because a lot of parents don't give two hoots where they stop when collecting kids.

Disabled spaces are different and, IMHO, treated with more respect because they are neccessary for wheelchair access etc.,